Alcohol
Continued from Page 1
“I was never physically hazed; it
was more of a mental hazing,” he
said.
James said the mental abuse con
tinued. But the final straw for him was
when his best friend, who hadn’t had
much experience with alcohol, be
came severely Intoxicated at a pledge
function in the house.
“He was very sick; he couldn’t
even speak. I didn’t know what would
happen to him.”
Haunted by thoughts of his father’s
college friend who had passed out,
choked on his own vomit and suffo
cated, James worried. No one was in
any condition to take his friend for
help.
Instead of joining the rest of his
pledge class, he stayed in his friend’s
room to look after him. During that
time he realized such situations
weren’t worth the supposed “friend
ships” there.
“I left and never went back.”
Infractions
Alcohol and hazing infractions in
greek organizations have become more
apparent to UNLadministration since
JefTrey Knoll’s fall from a third-story
window at Phi Gamma Delta Frater
nity, the result of a hazing incident.
“It became apparent to me from the
anonymous letters and phone calls
that more hazing incidents were oc
curring than I was aware of— or that
any of us were aware of,” said James
Griesen, UNL vice chancellor forstu
dent affairs.
Griesen estimated he had heard
nearly a dozen reports of hazing since
then. But so far, the university has
been unable to take any action on the
reports.
“In each and every case, even some
I would classify as severe, the people
would not identify the victims or the
name of the house,” said Griesen, who
in an earlier press conference called
the secrecy surrounding hazing a “con
spiracy of silence.”
To the greek system’s credit,
Griesen said, most people did not
fully report the incidents because they
didn’t want to get the fraternity, or
individual members, in trouble. This
was because of the positive aspects of
greeklife.
“They wanted to do something
about one isolated part of the frater
nity experience, which they saw as
otherwise very positive overall,
Griesen said.
Hazing is something the greek
system’s leadership also has been bat
tling.
“Not one national fraternity orga
nization condones physical or mental
hazing in any form,” said Jayne Wade
Anderson, director of greek affairs at
Anderson said attitudes were the
biggest challenge to ending the prac
tice of hazing.
“It’s something that becomesa part
of some people’s minds. 1 have never
figured it out... they aren’t aware (of
the dangers) until something major
happens,” she said.
“We continuously educate and re
inforce that hazing is not a part of
group membership, but you don’t
know what’s going on in their minds.”
Anderson said another dangerous
mentality was “group think”—when
a group failed to distinguish danger
ous situations because they thought
everyone was collectively agreeing to
participate.
Tim, a senior at UNL, said one
support for hazing stemmed from
wanting to earn membership in an
organization.
“You don’t want to wear the letters
if it wasn’t difficult,” he said.
However, Tim, who said he had
never been made to do anything un
willingly, said the challenge should
be turned toward more positive objec
tives, such as excelling in classes.
Beliefs
James said he disagreed with the
belief that a pledgeship should be
difficult, especially because of pres
sures associated with the first semes
ter in college.
“In theory, you think it sounds like
a great achievement. But you don’t
need to fear the people you’re living
with.”
Other fraternity members continue
to condone hazing as a way of cement
ing friendships and creating brother
hood.
James said a heightened sense of
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friendship and brotherhood did not
result from his treatment as a pledge.
“All of a sudden, when you’re ac
tivated, then they’re your friend? I
hated some of them!
“There’s no explanations for (haz
ing). I think it’s really a sick way for
some obviously insecure guys to ex
press themselves.”
He added: “You’re in a position
where you’re forced to do things you
wouldn’t normally do out of your own
consciousness.”
Sidney agreed.
“I definitely felt really violated of
my rights in some way... They were
putting us all at risk.”
crackdown
Griesen, who testified before the
Legislature on Wednesday in support
of a bill that would make hazing a
crime, said the university would con
tinue to take measures against hazing
and alcohol infractions.
As recently as Wednesday night,
Griesen said he visited a fraternity
house after a professor reported a pos
sible hazing incident. The student
had been falling asleep in the
professor’s classes.
Griesen said he stopped by the
fraternity at about 10 p.m. but found
no evidence of hazing. He said he
would continue to take such reports
seriously.
He said he also expected the
university’s recent crackdownon cam
pus alcohol violations to help lessen
the problem of hazing.
Alternatives
James’ solution was not to leave
the greek system entirely. He
depledged and found a fraternity that
had a different attitude about hazing
— not to practice it.
“I knew there had to be a fraternity
that was on a different wavelength, a
higher maturity level,” he said.
“As pledges we aren’t hazed, and
they’re some of the closest friends I’ll
ever have. We didn’t have to have
people screaming at us and making us
perform impossible tasks. We didn’ t
need that in order to become friends.”
For Sidney, the solution to hazing
was made for him.
“They rescinded my pledgeship is
what they called it. They blackballed
me is how everyone else said it.”
Sidney, who doesn’t drink, said he
was told h is personality did not fit that
of his fraternity—a comment that he
took as a compliment. His life and his
grades, he said, have since improved.
“I feel alive finally. I thank God
every day that I’m not in the frater
nity.”
But his frustration at what he sees
as fraternity members’ urges to cover
up hazing practices, instead of elimi
nating them, remains.
Boycott
Continued from Page 1
Griesen said MASA’s boycott in
accurately portrayed hiring practices.
He said the university couldn’t set up
every hiring decision based on racial
balance.
“We’d be happy to meet with any
body and explain (their hiring prac
tices),” Griesen said. “(MASA) has
met with me before and we are always
looking for opportunities for hiring
Latino Americans.”
Griesen said he agreed there had
not been many Latino hirings at UNL.
“I fully sympathize with their
goals,” he said.
Maestas said the boycott would go
on until MASA saw an indication of
change.
MASA will talk to the Vietnamese
Student Association, the University
of Nebraska Inter Tribal Exchange
and the Afrikan Peoples Union about
joining the boycott, she said.
“What we said needed to be said,”
Maestas said. “We’re not trying to
attack people—we ’ re not trying to be
viscous.
“These are facts. We can’t cover up
what someone else did.”
Griesen said he was confused by
MASA’s actions.
“I don’t quite see the point in a
boycottofMulticultural Affairs—the
very people that are there to help
them.”